1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to side-mounted rear view mirrors for vehicles and more particularly, to fender and door panel- mounted outside rear view mirrors which are selectively extendible and pivotable into functional viewing position from inside the vehicle and recessed into retracted configuration in mirror wells located in the fender or door panel of the vehicle.
Fender and door panel-mounted outside rear view mirrors are usually mounted on brackets fixedly secured to the door or fender of a vehicle for viewing by the driver of the vehicle while driving. These mirrors are commonly of the plane mirror design and are adjustably mounted on the bracket, in order to facilitate accurate rear vision, depending upon the position of the vehicle seat and the height of the driver. Accordingly, the mirror should be of sufficient size to obtain a sight or viewing area which is sufficiently large to view traffic to the rear of the vehicle and the mirror is normally mounted in a mirror housing which is aerodynamically curved, in order to present minimum surface area to the air through which the vehicle is passing.
Rear view mirror assemblies are typically mounted on both the driver and passsenger doors of a vehicle and many assemblies are designed with shock-absorbing mechanisms to prevent detachment of the mirrors from the doors of the vehicle if the mirrors are struck by an external force. The rear view mirrors are usually pivotally-mounted to brackets which are fixed to the vehicle doors and may include a double-hinge construction, in order to minimize the shock of impact. These shock-absorbing features are sometimes disadvantageous, in that the number of required component parts is large, thereby increasing the cost of manufacture. Furthermore, regardless of the various shock-absorbing features which may be incorporated into these outside mirrors, the mirrors project from the profile of the vehicle and are therefore frequently damaged due to collisions with other vehicles, contact with brushes and other mechanisms when the vehicle is pulled through a car wash apparatus and collision with structural members in parking garages and other small parking spaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,880, dated April 16, 1968, to Belton Carter, Jr., details a "Retractable Mirror for Motor Vehicles". The retractable mirror is mounted on the outside of the curb side of a bus and includes a mounting element normally holding the mirror in a position to provide a rear view and a retracting element for retracting the mirror when the bus approaches a curb, to prevent the mirror from striking a pole or other obstruction. U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,877, dated June 28, 1974, to James E. Moyer, discloses "Extendible and Retractable Motor Vehicle Mirror Arms". The motor vehicle mirror arms detailed in this patent can be extended or retracted from the dashboard of a vehicle to a point beyond the width of the motor vehicle, in order to enhance visibility to the rear. The mirror arms are moved by hydraulic, air, vacuum or electric means and can be positioned at any desired point from a fully retracted position to a fully extended configuration. A truck mirror which is adjustable in the horizontal direction is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,930, dated Dec. 17, 1985, to Harold Deedreek. The mirror is adjustable by rotation or movement horizontally inwardly or outwardly from the truck by means of reversible motors which may be controlled from within the truck by the use of switches. The mechanisms for moving the mirror inwardly or outwardly include a rack and pinion arrangement which is controlled by a motor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,529, dated June 3, 1986, to M. Suzuki, details a "Shock Absorbing Mechanism for Rear View Mirror Assembly of Motor Vehicle". The shock-absorbing mechanism includes a mirror body which is movable in a horizontal direction with respect to a mounting stay secured to the motor vehicle in such a manner that the mirror body is initially located in the neutral standing position. The mirror body is movably supported for inclination when an external force is applied thereto and is automatically returned to the standing position upon removal of the external force. Alternatively, the mirror body may be inclined toward one side of the motor vehicle, as deemed necessary. U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,000, dated Sep. 8, 1987, to Y. W. Machida, details a "Motor-Driven Collapsible Door Mirror" . A mirror housing for holding the collapsible door mirror is automatically swung and collapsed by remote operation in an automobile. The mirror housing is supported by a base and is swung around a fixed shaft and shifted to a predetermined position by a drive mechanism which includes a drive motor and a speed reducer mechanism.
It is an object of this invention to provide an extendible, side-mounted rear view mirror for a vehicle, which extendible mirror is characterized by a vehicle mirror assembly adjustably mounted on the piston of a fluid-operated cylinder, wherein the piston is designed to extend from retracted configuration in a mirror well in the fender or door of a vehicle and position the mirror in functional configuration for viewing traffic to the rear of the vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved extendible mirror for a vehicle, which mirror is mounted on the piston of a fluid-operated cylinder, the piston being adapted for extension and retraction, in order to selectively position the mirror in extended configuration for viewing traffic to the rear of the vehicle by the driver and in recessed configuration in the fender or door of a vehicle to prevent mirror damage while the vehicle is parked, serviced or washed.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a pivotable mirror for mounting on substantially any vehicle, which mirror is pivotally mounted in a mirror well located in the fender or door panel of the vehicle and is also pivotally attached to the piston of a fluid cylinder for extension from the mirror well to a functional position for viewing traffic to the rear of the vehicle.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a pivotable mirror for a vehicle, which pivotable mirror includes a mirror assembly pivotally mounted in a mirror well located in the fender or door panel of the vehicle and a fluid-operated cylinder having a cylinder housing mounted in the mirror well and the cylinder piston attached to the mirror assembly by means of a ball-joint, to facilitate pivoting of the mirror assembly into and out of the mirror well.